Shannon win exciting AIB ALL Ireland League Final

Shannon won their 9th AIB All Ireland League title with a first try rule giving them the title after an exciting final with Clontarf at Thomond Park.

While this was Clontarf's third defeat in a final, the Dublin side knew going into extra time that they had to score if they were to bring the title to Castle Avenue for the first time.

While many felt this game should have gone to a replay, another meeting between these two great sides would certainly have doubled the attendance that watched this encounter.

The sides were level at 19-19 after 80 minutes and while two halves of extra-time failed to produce a score, but this was a great advert for club rugby.

Shannon got off to a great start with Tadhg Benett kicking them into the lead with a drop goal after fifty three seconds.

Clontarf's skipper Darragh O'Shea was off target with a long range penalty attempt but had the sides level on fifteen minutes with his second attempt.

Both Bennett and O'Shea exchanged penalties to leave the sides level 6-6 at the end of the first quarter and than came the game's opening try that was to prove crucial on twenty three minutes

A break by Bennett set up David O'Donovan who touched down in the corner. Clontarf hit back immediately with Heinrich Stride touching down after some excellent work by O'Shea and Martin Dufficy but O'Shea missed the conversion.

Shannon hit the front again when O'Donovan touched down after the Limerick side took a quick tap penalty eight minutes before the break for a 16-11 interval lead.

The sin binning of Shannon's Padraic O'Brien early in the second half proved crucial for the Dublin side as from the resulting penalty O'Shea reduced the deficit and three minutes later the Leinster side roared on by a sizeable support hit the front with a try from Simon Crawford after great work by scrum half Paul O'Donohoe. O'Shea missed the conversion.

The Dublin side now looked like champions but this saw Shannon raise their game and Bennett tied the scores with a penalty as a result of Clontarf's Niall O'Brien been shown a yellow card for coming in at the wrong side of a ruck.

Club rugby makes a return to Markets Field for the first time in 58 years next week with the historic stadium hosting the clash between Young Munster and a Munster President's Select side in the Sporting Limerick Rugby Charity Night.